Into the Fire
by Liana Slane
Summary: Sarah makes a wish she thinks is innocent enough, but any desire comes with consequences. She enters the Labyrinth for completely new reasons, and Jareth has not given up on his plans to rule her.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I don't own anything from Labyrinth. Currently this is a drabble, but I may add to it at some point._

* * *

She cried—like she did every night. He did not know how much longer he could bear the sight of it. She sat on the floor, back to the bed and arms crossed over her knees. Her dark hair wild, strands brushing over her arms as she rested her head. Tears left dark spots, splayed across her jeans.

Watching Sarah through his crystals had become a habit far too soon after she left the Underground. Seeing her attempt to acclimate herself to her old life had been concerning. He should have known it would be that way. She was not able to make real connections or relationships. The world she viewed as fantasy had ruined her. _He_ had ruined her.

Jareth knew he did not hold the same power, but he had to see her once more. He could tell she was about to snap, and he would not let it break his Sarah. He would allow nothing to control her but him.

"Tears don't suit you, precious."

His quick arrival and sudden speech startled her. He watched from the shadows as she flailed and grabbed for something under the bed. Jumping to her feet, she held a metal bat in her grip, knuckles turning pale from holding it so tight.

"Whoever you are, get out of my apartment, or I'll call the cops!"

"Is that any way to treat an old friend, Sarah?" he asked as he stepped out into the dim light. Even though only illuminated by a single lamp, his dark jacket sparkled, and his white blond hair glowed. His gaze was intense, never allowing his eyes to leave her.

Sarah let a most inhuman noise escape her lips as she dropped her weapon, sending it to the ground with a thud. Her hands flew up to her mouth, and her eyes went wide. He was pleased that she remembered, a wave of pride flowing through him.

"B-but you're not real! This isn't suppose to happen."

"Oh I'm very real, Sarah," he said in a playful tone as he slowly crept towards her. "Your human world has worn you down. Even though you haven't spoken the words aloud, I still hear you call to me in your heart."

As he spoke, he had reached her side, placing a gloved hand upon her shoulder. His touch was delicate but firm. Letting his other roam up to tip her chin, they finally locked eyes.

"I can make the pain stop. All you have to do is wish it."

"I don't know if I can. If I should…I'm afraid," she said, seemingly too exhausted to put up a fight. Her vulnerability was nearly palpable. He found it to be exquisite.

He could tell it had been a long night for her; she did not exhibit her usual fire. Jareth had a feeling it would not be missing for long, but he would not let the opportunity slip away.

"Say the words, Sarah," he encouraged, stroking a gloved finger down her jawline.

"I wish for the Goblin King to end my pain right now."

A smile spread over his features. This was the night he had waited for all these years. Open ended wishes were dangerous things. He felt the power surge through him. This world held no joy for her any longer. She was now his to possess. He had found his loophole.

He seized the moment, pulling her into his arms. Their surroundings tugged at them, darkening and spinning. Soon it was over, and he stepped back. They had returned to the Labyrinth—together. He heard her gasp.

"No. No, this isn't what I meant," she cried.

"You should know better than anyone that wishes are powerful things, Sarah."

In panic, she turned and fled.

"How you turn my world, you precious thing," he whispered, advancing after her.


	2. Chapter 2

As she ran, Sarah realized that the destination was just as treacherous as the pursuit. Coming to a halt, she studied her surroundings. The Labyrinth she remembered from years ago was now much darker, more twisted. The walls were overgrown with thorns, and the ground was covered in sharp rocks.

"What happened to you?" she whispered, her hand hovering over the maze's tainted stones.

She could very easily ask herself that same question. When she first left the Labyrinth she had been very young. Sarah was now eighteen, but she still lacked the maturity most would have at that age. Her fantasy world had robbed her of the growth necessary to becoming a woman.

After she returned from her adventure, her dad and step mom had shipped her off to boarding school. They could not handle her delusions. Hating her surroundings, she ran away and began living on her own. She may have mastered independence, but she was broken from the inside out.

Discovering her fantasy world actually existed was jarring to say the least. Although the Labyrinth was frightening, she was curious what had happened to it. Running back to Jareth was the alternative, so she pressed on with her mission.

Turning a corner, she found herself in a square section of the maze. She was surrounded by four walls, each with an exit. Walking to the center of the area, she bent down to examine the floor. Each tile had an intricately carved symbol upon it. As her fingertips grazed the center stone, it began to glow—startling her.

Sarah looked up, hearing the sound of scraping rock. The four doorways were now gone, with no way of escape in sight. The noise intensified, and to her horror she realized that the walls were moving towards her at a slow but steady pace. If she did not find a solution, she would soon be crushed.

Her initial reaction was to panic. All the pain she had been through—for what—to die where it all originated? The Goblin King may have once been her teenage fantasy, but currently she wished the worst upon him for bringing her back. The barriers moved ever closer still. Her heart beat faster.

Leaning down again, she examined the symbol. It was designed in the shape of a sun. Its luminescence had faded, but it appeared to be slightly loose from the floor surrounding it. Digging her nails into the crevices, she attempted to pull it up. It only budged a fraction, but it gave her enough leeway to spin its orientation. Glancing up, she thought about how the sun rose from the east. The only problem was that there was no sun in the sky. Trial and error was the only option, but time was against her. It was always against her.

Rotating and locking the stone, she hoped that the wrong guess would not get her killed. Nothing happened, and the walls continued to inch closer. Repeating the process, the tile finally responded on her third attempt. Its visage shone bright again, and she heard another loud scraping noise. It stopped mere seconds after it began. Unsure what had changed, Sarah looked around only to realize that she was still about to be crushed.

Feeling angry, she stood and stomped her foot, letting out a huff. It did not seem fair that she was stuck in the place she dreamed about for so long, only to meet her end. Perhaps it was poetic way to go out. Dramatic tears in her eyes, she spun one last time to view her impending death. As she turned, she noticed a few new notches on one of the walls. They bore the symbol of the sun. These stepping stones had appeared out of thin air, but she was not about to question her saving grace.

Rushing over to them, she began to climb. Reaching the end of the steps, she realized with a sickening lump in her throat that she was a few feet short of being able to access the top of the wall. Sarah's brow furrowed, contemplating what kind of sick joke was being played on her. She was out of options.

Nearing her fate, she was close to accepting her demise when a noise startled her out of her daze. Looking up, she was given such a fright that she almost fell from her perch. Her eyes met wild red ones. Fanged teeth and sharp claws contrasted her own. It almost had a human body structure, but it was most certainly not human. It possessed black, matted fur and a crazed look upon its face. She was afraid if the room did not destroy her, the beast sitting on the top of the wall would.

Sarah was shocked when it stretched out a mangled hand with a snarl upon its lips. She wondered if it was trying to catch its prey. As her seconds ticked away, she heard a deep voice echo.

"Accept the help you have been offered, or perish to your own choices."

It did not sound like Jareth, and she was not sure what it meant. Either choice surely hastened her destruction. Frozen in fear, she continued to do nothing—just clinging to the wall. The voice spoke again.

"Accept the help you have been offered, or perish to your own choices."

It was adamant if nothing else. She finally decided to take the leap of faith, having no other options at her disposal. She flung her hand into the arms of the monster, clenching her eyes tight in fear. She felt claws digging into her skin and the world spinning around her. Finally the air was still, and she lay upon soft ground. As she opened her eyes she realized that the creature was gone, as were the walls. She was safe—for the time being.

* * *

Holding a crystal, Jareth watched her with intense interest. While he had always been enthralled with Sarah, it was the Labyrinth that held his attention this time. He knew it had gotten darker since the girl's departure, but something was new, now that she had returned. It held an air of mystery and a more mature sense of danger.

"What is your plot for Sarah?" he absently asked the maze, knowing it had its own magic. He narrowed his eyes, disliking the sensation of being in the dark. The Labyrinth was up to something, and he was going to find out what it was.

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_A/N: Thanks to everyone who read/reviewed/fav'd/followed my work! Also, thanks to the anon reviewers! I really appreciate it. It all encourages me to continue with this._

_edit: A reader complained that I'm writing Sarah way too whiny and immature. I just wanted to let everyone know that I am writing her immature at the start on purpose. I plan to have her character grow and develop. It is a challenge that I enjoy. So don't worry, if it bothers you it won't stay this way forever._


	3. Chapter 3

Pushing herself up, Sarah attempted to regain her bearings. She looked around, only to discover that she was situated on a small circle of grass, surrounded by thick trees. In the center of the enclosure were two deathly still, hooded figures. The air was so quiet that even her breathing felt loud. The stones, and the red-eyed beast from earlier, were now gone. The sky was overcast, lending her skin a sickly pallor.

She stood, slowly walking towards the mysterious forms. With a tentative hand she reached out, letting her fingertips trace the edges of a black robe.

"Hello?" she asked hesitantly.

Feeling a sudden movement around her ankles, Sarah jumped back in surprise. A small creature, no bigger than a cat, stared up at her. It looked like an imp, with gangly arms and legs, boasting large ears. The strange being was golden colored, with black tufts of hair and fiery eyes.

"Girl who should be Lady has arrived. Girl picks, right or left, self or others. Pick, pick!" it squeaked at her, nodding emphatically while tugging at the hem of her jeans. It pointed at the strangers in hoods and tried to pull her forward.

"Hi there, what's your name?" Sarah asked, kneeling down beside the tiny thing. While the cloaked people had not left her mind, they may as well have been statues, considering their lack of response. They could wait.

"No time for Cleaton. Girl must choose."

"Nice to meet you, Cleaton. I am Sarah."

The poor creature looked pained at her delay, saying nothing but making a whimpering noise. Deciding to humor him, and satiate her curiosity, she stood up and moved forward again. In a singular motion, she pushed the hoods back to reveal whoever, or whatever, was beneath. Sarah gasped at the sight that greeted her. On the right was Toby, appearing to be flesh and blood, but more pale. In contrast, the left side boasted an exact clone of her, staring vacantly ahead. It was strange looking at replicas of herself and her brother in close proximity.

"I-I don't understand."

"Girl who should be Lady makes choice," Cleaton encouraged. "Girl broken, but soon she be fixed."

Sarah felt overwhelmed. Her new acquaintance was speaking in riddles, and being faced with a carbon copy was more than a little disturbing. She was unsure of what she was deciding, but tried her best.

"I choose Toby. I will always choose Toby," she stated firmly as she placed a soft hand on the curve of her brother's cheek.

Upon her touch, Toby began to melt into sand. Grains bled from his eye sockets and poured out of his mouth. Her twin started to fall apart too, breaking down around her.

"What's happening?"

"Oh no, Girl pick wrong. Now we pay price," Cleaton squealed, clutching her leg like a child unwilling to let go of their parent.

The ground beneath her feet softened, causing her to begin to sink. Sand flooded in around her, dragging her further down. The imp had crawled up her body and was now clinging to her hair. As she sank lower and lower, Sarah wondered if this is how she would meet her end. Sand was up to her neck now. She did not have much time left. Taking one last breath, she closed her eyes and let the pit consume her.

Her lungs began to burn. Her time was nearly up, but before she passed out Sarah got the strangest sensation of sliding. She was falling downward, slipping through sand. A few moments later she skidded to a stop, surrounded in the collapsed golden dirt. Looking around, she was convinced that she was either dead or dreaming. The walls were glass, the ceiling coming to a point which poured sand down over her head. She was in an hourglass of some kind. It made no sense, but that did not seem to stop the Labyrinth.

Standing up to brush herself off, she glanced around for Cleaton. Seeing a yellow tail sticking up out of the sand, she grabbed it and yanked. The creature coughed and sputtered.

"Girl save Cleaton. Maybe Girl still become Lady after all."

"What do you mean by that? I don't understand. And why was Toby the wrong choice? Putting others above myself should always be the right option."

The little guy just laughed a high pitched laugh and righted himself in her grasp. She set him down gently and decided to search for a way out. He followed in her footsteps, humming a tune as they walked.

Sarah was concerned about air supply. If they were not crushed by sand, they would surely suffocate soon. Even though the walls were glass, nothing could be seen on the opposite side. The panes were darkened. Moving along the exterior, she applied pressure with her fingertips—hoping to find a weak point.

About to give up hope, Sarah was startled when she heard something click near the end of her rotation. The section of glass swung open, revealing a dark corridor. Knowing it was their only option, she stepped into it. The door closed behind them, disappearing as soon as Sarah stepped through it. All that was left behind was a dead end. Having no other choice, she moved forward. The path was lit by randomly placed hands protruding from the walls. They were grasping dimly flickering candles.

As she and Cleaton walked into the unknown, the sound of a man clearing his throat startled her. Turning to glance behind, Sarah was then face to face with the Goblin King. She had almost run straight into his chest, his close proximity sending a shiver up her spine.

"I never would have thought you to run the Labyrinth again, Sarah. The real question is, why? You don't even have a goal this time. You would do all this just to flee from me?"

She thought about his questions. It was true that she had originally fled blindly into the maze to escape his presence. The thought of being trapped in the Underground had upset her, yet the more she considered it, the more she realized that her journey was much more. Something was different; the Labyrinth had changed. It felt sick. The idea of having a purpose here spoke to her. The alternative of being locked in some tower for King's amusement held little appeal to her, even if he did make her heart quicken whenever he drew near.

"There is something different about the Labyrinth. I feel drawn to it. I will stay until I figure it out."

"Stubborn girl! You could die," he hissed at her. He disappeared before her eyes, leaving no trace behind. He had obviously been upset, not giving her any chance to explain.

Sarah found it odd that he seemed worried for her safety, when in the past he had gone so far as to reorder time for her. It was selfish to assume he would do any such thing for her again, but his response only added to the mystery. The Underground was different. Things were different.

"Boss man grumpy. Cleaton no like boss," her companion moaned in a sing-song tone.

"He definitely wouldn't win any congeniality awards anytime soon," she conceded.

She pushed on into the darkness, unsure of what she would find next. Sarah just knew that it was her job to find out.

* * *

Jareth threw a crystal against the wall in a fit of rage. That girl would be the death of him. She was so ridiculously stubborn and still so immature. He supposed he could not blame her, considering the hardships she had faced, but it did little to alleviate the frustration flowing through him.

He was no closer to discovering what the Labyrinth was planning. He hated to have to do it, but he realized that it was time for him to seek out a seer. Only an elder seer would be able to give him the necessary insight that he needed, before it was too late. Morphing into his owl form, he took flight. He let his wings carry him, and the cool breeze between feathers began to ease his troubled mood. Soon he would have answers.

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_A/N: Thank you to all those who read/reviewed/fav'd/followed my story! This is still just a drabble series so far, but I plan to try to continue it if everyone is enjoying it. Thanks for the support!_


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